Corporate - Bernards Innhttp://www.bernardsinn.com/bernards-inn-blog/categories/listings/corporate
Tue, 03 Mar 2015 13:45:48 -0500en-gbSo You Want to be in the Hospitality Business?http://www.bernardsinn.com/bernards-inn-blog/entry/so-you-want-to-be-in-the-hospitality-business
http://www.bernardsinn.com/bernards-inn-blog/entry/so-you-want-to-be-in-the-hospitality-businessI have spent my entire career in the hospitality business and I wouldn’t have it any other way. If you love people and a fast-paced environment, the industry may be for you. To help students further their studies in the field, The Bernards Inn offers year-round internships to qualified candidates.

It is very rewarding to mentor a student in the hospitality field of study. Each year we offer internships in our Catering Sales and Banquet Departments. The internship is designed to offer a well-rounded experience for a young professional. The student has the opportunity to learn from seasoned professionals at the highest level. Here’s what one of our talented interns, Michelle Cannon, had to say about the experience:

Intern Michelle Cannon

I go to a hospitality school where you spend twenty hours a week in classrooms, five hours in professors’ office hours, and countless hours on homework and group projects. Every lecture, assignment, and exam prepares us for the hospitality world that we will enter shortly after graduation. Last summer, however, I had my first realization of the role classroom knowledge will play in my career. At school, I am learning a business / service mindset that will help me solve problems, keep a positive yet realistic attitude, and serve clients better. My time as a Sales and Banquet Intern at The Bernards Inn gave me first-hand knowledge of the process by observing client consultations and manager meetings, working as a banquet server for all different types of events, and accomplishing daily and summer-long projects.

My main project was working on a Competitive Set Report which involved requesting pricing and offering information from similar wedding venues as the Inn. At the end of the summer, I presented my findings and analysis to the Management Team. There was no rubric, no other students’ projects to compare my results to, and no textbook to refer to. However, the project required me to call upon skills from a core freshman course at school, Managerial Communication, such as PowerPoint presentation etiquette to effectively convey my ideas. It was a real world project that did not count for a grade, but rather something I wanted to challenge myself to do well on. This project and others that I worked on throughout the summer were the perfect bridge between my technical knowledge from school and a real world career in the near future.

Thank you to The Bernards Inn for giving me this fantastic opportunity!

“I’m getting engaged and I need help!” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had the privilege of helping a young man come up with just the right scenario in which to propose. It is truly an honor to be part of the planning of this very intimate moment, and the romantic setting of The Bernards Inn has made it the choice for countless proposals over its 100-year history.

Everyone has a story about that moment and it’s one that is repeated over and over for many years to come. Now that’s pressure! How do you make the occasion perfect and memorable? One way to achieve this is to personalize the proposal and make it creative. But where to start? I always suggest that whoever is doing the asking to make it personal; there are no rules. A proposal should be unique to each couple.

I recently had a friend and colleague ask me to help him create that very special moment here at the Inn. He has a warm, inviting personality, with never a problem holding conversation in a group. But when it came time to actually thinking about saying the words “Will you marry me?” he didn’t trust himself to deliver it the way it should….Hollywood style. So, he wrote all his feelings down and we decided to present his sentiments like a menu! He planned an intimate dinner for the two of them. When the waiter presented the menus for them to order, she got the special one. Inside was his beautiful message for her and he simply got down on one knee after she was moved by his words and shed a few tears and out came the words: “Will you marry me?” It was absolutely perfect. He arranged for his and her family to meet them for dessert as a second surprise to celebrate the blissful event.

I have had grooms-to-be plan scavenger hunts for their brides-to-be ending at the Inn. Recently, a gentleman proposed right in front of our fireplace after sending his girlfriend on a scavenger hunt looking for him in all their favorite places. His last clue? The best lobster bisque in New Jersey… she headed straight for The Bernards Inn!

It was a bit more intimidating for me when my own son Mike asked me for help in coming up with that perfect moment to ask his beautiful girlfriend Chelsey to marry him. Wow…I’ve planned over a thousand weddings and at least one hundred engagements, the pressure was on!

In the end, he planned a beautiful overnight stay with rose petal turndown and chocolate bride and groom strawberries in their room. He did the asking before dinner with champagne and a bouquet of flowers on hand taking her completely off guard. She thought it was a Valentine’s Day gift from him, not thinking a proposal would be coming for a few more months. She lives in California so the timing was perfect, as they were leaving the next day to visit with her family, a vacation that had already been planned. She went home engaged, to celebrate with her family, because my son had prepared them with that special phone call to ask their permission to marry their daughter. Hint, hint…yes, that’s still done!

]]>dcarr@bernardsinn.com (Diane Carr, General Manager)CorporateFri, 01 Apr 2011 00:44:10 -0400It’s That Time of Year Again!http://www.bernardsinn.com/bernards-inn-blog/entry/it%e2%80%99s-that-time-of-year-again
http://www.bernardsinn.com/bernards-inn-blog/entry/it%e2%80%99s-that-time-of-year-again
It is officially here on December 1st, forget about those other dates…the calendar marks the beginning of the hustle and bustle of the Christmas, Hannukah and New Year’s holidays.

Start a tradition in your family and join us for the Breakfast with Santa celebration throughout the month starting this Sunday! Have a relaxing breakfast with all the sights, sounds and smells of the holiday season. We’ll take a family photo in front of the warm fireplace, and create a memory of the day for you! Imagine the joy in your child’s face when Santa let’s out a big “Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas!, priceless, right?

It is a time of new beginnings…the busiest time for couples thinking of becoming engaged! The Bernards Inn offers a wonderful intimate setting in which to “pop the question”, enjoy champagne by the fire when she says, “yes”! Perhaps at our Christmas Eve dinner or buffet or New Year’s Eve? Perhaps an overnight stay and dinner for that special someone in your life that needs relief from the undue stress of the holidays…that might be just in order.

It is a time to reconnect with friends, share memories and reflect on the year. Enjoy a glass of wine and dinner at the Library Bar or in a quieter setting in the Great Room. Share gifts, stories and laughter. Celebrate a job well-done this year by enjoying a holiday lunch gathering in restaurant or one of our private dining rooms. See Wine Director, Terri Baldwin to purchase a very special bottle of wine for that colleague, neighbor or friend, she would be happy to help you for find the perfect gift wine.

There are 31 days in December…31 days in which to plan something truly memorable and special here at the inn, and if you can’t manage to experience that joy this month….perhaps you will be the recipient of a Bernards Inn gift certificate, that will allow you join us at a better time.

Here’s wishing you the best this holiday season…to good food, good health, good wine and good friends!]]>dcarr@bernardsinn.com (Diane Carr, General Manager)CorporateWed, 01 Dec 2010 01:01:50 -0500Weekend in Newport, Rhode Islandhttp://www.bernardsinn.com/bernards-inn-blog/entry/weekend-in-newport-rhode-island
http://www.bernardsinn.com/bernards-inn-blog/entry/weekend-in-newport-rhode-island

There is an incredible feeling that comes over you crossing the Clairborne Pell Bridge into Newport. It’s a feeling of leaving your “life behind” and being transported to a world where you can blend with the rich and famous.

It’s not a bad drive, just short of three and half hours from Bernardsville, NJ and it offers so much! Beautiful hotels, great dining, yachting, sailing (it is considered one of the great sailing capitals of the world) and beautiful people!

If you plan to go, visit www.gonewport.com there are great listings of events, accommodations and restaurants. There is always something going on all year around and in the summer it is bustling.

My suggestions for hotels include The Chanler at Cliff Walk, a gorgeous seaside hotel that overlooks the ocean and is adjacent to the famous Cliff Walk, like The Bernards Inn they are a AAA Four Diamond hotel and have been recognized by Conde Nast Traveler. www.thechanler.com The guest rooms are magnificent and you must dine at world renowned restaurant The Spiced Pear, they offer a beautiful ala carte menu, tasting dinners and a chef’s table. It is definitely resort casual, yet you will find many dressed to the nines. It’s a bit of Nantucket meets Bermuda and New York City…all rolled into one, sleek and chic!

Another fabulous inn and restaurant, part of the The Newport Restaurant Group www.thenewportrestaurantgroup.com collection, The Inn at Castle Hill www.castlehillinn.com , a Relais & Chateaux property on the famous Ocean Drive . The staff, the food, the view, it’s stunning! Their collection includes two of my personal restaurant favorites, 22 Bowen’s Wine Bar and Grille www.22bowens.com and The Mooring Seafood Kitchen and Bar www.mooringrestaurant.com ; both offer great harbor views in a relaxing atmosphere. The staff in all of these locations is trained well, they have to be, the clientele is diverse and discerning. The world visits Newport, Rhode Island.

A new addition to Newport and getting all “the buzz” is 41 North www.41north.com , a beautiful hotel and marina featuring two restaurants, casual and fine dining. I didn’t have a chance to eat at either one but definitely made a visit to the building and it does look special.

It is busy in the summer, the streets crowded with pedestrian traffic everywhere. There is nightlife for those that enjoy the bar scene, with entertainment nightly at most all of them.

If you are looking for a seaside escape, perhaps a diversion from the beautiful Jersey shore, transport yourself to Newport, Rhode Island, you won’t be sorry, and let me know how you like it!]]>dcarr@bernardsinn.com (Diane Carr, General Manager)CorporateWed, 07 Jul 2010 03:17:03 -0400Milestoneshttp://www.bernardsinn.com/bernards-inn-blog/entry/milestones
http://www.bernardsinn.com/bernards-inn-blog/entry/milestones
It is always such a treat to help plan these special moments in our client’s lives. Our guests are always so happy about celebrating, they always want to make it just right. Choose the right room, the right mood and the right food and drink. In other words, make it perfect! They trust us to make it perfect!

That is something we all take very, very seriously. This one moment in time is so important for the person planning, the people attending and for the guest of honor, there is no room for error.

The Bernards Inn takes great pride in preparing a milestone celebration like no other, one that won’t be forgotten, one that can’t be duplicated. www.bernardsinn.com

In addition, we helped mark the 100 Year Anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America at Ellis Island, as our chef and myself were part of an outstanding culinary team assembled for this very special milestone. www.ppbsa.org We also played host to the Somerset County Tribute to Women event held here honoring, Robin Winter-Sperry, MD, Jaimie Ryan Morais, Allison Agathis, MD FAAP, Susan Landmesser, and Dr. Arleen H. Urban.

We were the site of this year’s scholarship dinner for 100 Women Making a Difference, a non-profit organization that gives grants to other non-profits as well as scholarships to deserving students.

We participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure fundraising efforts with our own run/walk team and we hosted Bob Egan Plays for the Cure raising over $1,000 for this organization. www.komennorthjersey.org

Our Executive Chef, Corey Heyer was the culinary coordinator once again for the New Jersey BatteredWomen’s Grand Tastings event. www.jbws.org

As we close out the spring months and welcome summer we still have in front of us a few more very special weddings, a 60th wedding anniversary celebration, a few baby showers and bridal showers, several birthdays and graduation dinners.

Thank you for allowing us to share these moments with you, we treasure them just as much as you do.

I know….as does my partner Harold, as we both had children graduate from college this year!]]>dcarr@bernardsinn.com (Diane Carr, General Manager)CorporateFri, 28 May 2010 00:25:40 -0400